War on Terrorism

An award-winning film about two young Texans who were arrested for domestic terrorism makes its national television debut on Tuesday (Sept. 6) as part of the “POV” documentary series.

“Better This World,” produced by Berkeley-based filmmakers Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway, follows the compelling journey of David McKay, 22, and Bradley Crowder, 23, from political neophytes to accused domestic terrorists with a particular focus on the relationship they developed with a radical activist mentor in the six months leading up to their arrests.

A dramatic story of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal, “Better This World” explores the War on Terror and its impact on civil liberties and political dissent in post-9/11 America. It debuts on most PBS stations at 10 p.m. Tuesday. In the Bay Area, it can be seen at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 6 on KTEH and at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 25 on KQED.

Boyhood friends, Crowder and McKay, found themselves increasingly out of step with their neighbors as they reacted against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They attended a presentation at an Austin bookstore about protesting the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC) in Minneapolis-St. Paul. There, they were approached by a charismatic older activist who suggested that they work together to prepare for the demonstrations.

Six months later, on the eve of the convention, the two friends made eight Molotov cocktails but decided not to use them. The matter might have ended there — but not everything was as it seemed. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies had been engaged in a two-year, multimillion-dollar counterterrorism effort leading up to the convention. The young men’s mentor, it turned out, was a government informant; Crowder and McKay were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism.

“Better This world” reconstructs the story of the relationship between these three men and the subsequent twists and turns of their legal cases through interviews with Crowder, McKay and their family members; FBI agents and attorneys; and a wealth of surveillance and archival footage — presenting an well-documented account and untangling a web of questions: Why did Darby, a committed activist, become a government informant? What led these young men to build eight homemade bombs? Did Darby and law enforcement save innocent victims from domestic terrorists bent on violence and destruction? Or were Crowder and McKay impressionable disciples set up by overzealous agents and a dangerous provocateur? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between?

“Better This World” captured Best Documentary Feature prizes at both the San Francisco International Film Festival and Sarasota Film Festival. In addition to the TV airings, the film will stream on the “POV” website, www.pbs.org/pov/betterthisworld, Sept. 7 – Oct. 8.